Take My Hand
by Just A Little Bit Dramatic
Summary: Written for the iluvedward Jasper/Alice challenge...A peculiar emotion radiated from her petite frame; an emotion I did not know. It wasn’t fondness, but something much deeper...T to be safe...


**This is for the challenge set by iluvedward, and the conditions were that it had to be a cute story about Alice and Jasper. So I decided to write the story of how they met – in my own words. This is a oneshot of their first meeting, and how they find the Cullens, including ups and downs along the way. **

**I don't own Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, or Edward Cullen. Has anyone noticed that the second titles are always two words? Like, Twilight and Eclipse are one word, but New Moon and Breaking Dawn are two? **

**takemyhand**

The storm continued to rage overhead as I ran, the rain void of all temperature to me. Tilting my head up to look at the sky, I made up my mind quickly. Despite my darkening eyes, and my raging thirst, I changed direction, running towards the nearest form of civilisation I could find.

It was risky, and I knew it. The thirst plagued me, burned my throat, and made my nostrils flare as the scent of hot blood reached me. But I wasn't about to risk exposure…not here, not now.

Pausing, my gaze focused on a diner ahead. The blood calling out wasn't too strong; it wasn't overcrowded. Perfect. And if I did slip up…no. I wouldn't slip up to begin with. Shaking my dripping hair, I continued to run.

The sun was hidden behind clouds, and it would remain that way for a while longer. I was safe…for now. Slowing my pace as I neared the diner, I walked inside, opening the door. Only a few people were inside, all eyes upon me.

I hesitated, wondering if I was too suspicious. The emotions emanating towards me were…curious. Admiration, awe, wondering, jealousy, lust…they all drifted towards me. I sent out normalcy to all present.

Looking up, it was then that I saw…_her_. She wasn't human; that much was obvious. Her black hair was spiked around her unnaturally beautiful face. Elfin, almost pixie-like, but still beyond beautiful, with full lips, high cheekbones, and sparkling eyes the strangest shade of gold.

The woman instantly stepped down from the high stool: her black dress rustled as she walked towards me, smiling. Her every movement was graceful, perfect, as though she was almost dancing – striding on tiptoes in a peculiar dance that no human could ever do.

I tensed, bracing myself for a fight. I did not want to fight this creature. It would be such a shame…a waste. I'd mourn the loss of such a perfect vision…and I wouldn't forget what it was like to harm her.

A peculiar emotion radiated from her petite frame; an emotion I did not know. It wasn't fondness, but something much deeper. A longing…a warmth…a desire so much more intimate than the lust I often felt. Something far more profound than lust…far more intense…

The woman stopped just before me, and I found myself looking down to meet her foreign, tawny eyes. Her lips curved up into a smile, and she spoke. "You've kept me waiting a long time." The melodic voice was high, as though she was only moments away from singing.

I felt the disapproval tinge the strange emotion, and ducked my head, wanting nothing more than to feel whatever I had felt before again. "I'm sorry, ma'am." Looking down, I frowned as I saw her arm move.

Her hand was extended towards me.

I tilted my head up enough to look into her eyes. She was waiting, calm, expecting. I didn't register the emotion filling me until after my hand was gently holding hers. I was hopeful…for what, I didn't know. Something more than this…what I had gone through for so long…something better.

Gently, the woman walked me to a table nearby, still gripping my hand in return, and sat down across from me. She watched me carefully, and looked up at me from beneath long eyelashes. "My name is Alice." I felt something thaw inside me. Alice. It suited her…did her justice. Before I could tell her my name, she held up a slender hand. "Your name is Jasper. Jasper Whitlock. You can feel every single emotion I have at the moment."

I frowned, feeling the amusement fill her, and looked down at the table. "I'm sorry, ma'am. Please do excuse my frankness. But…do you know me?" She picked up my free hand, and she continued to smile at me.

"Don't be afraid…we were destined to meet." Another thrill of amusement at my confusion. "I have…visions, as you may call them, of the future. I knew you were coming for me. You didn't know it, but you were coming." She sighed, and relief peeked out from behind her amusement. "I had been waiting for so long that I was beginning to think I had been wrong. And that, in itself, is rare enough."

My eyes were locked onto our joined hands, as though I didn't believe she was truly there. Tearing my gaze from them, I boldly looked into her eyes again. "Do these…these visions show you _why_? Why we were destined to meet?" Alice frowned, and a hint of frustration lowered her happiness. I quickly restored it, and she smiled at me.

"Thank you, Jasper." She was testing the name on her tongue. "You and I…we just _are_. But there is something more out there. A life within our reach. Something offered to us. Something that we will take, and something we will cherish. A life with the greatest of our kind…the most merciful, and the most compassionate." Awe filled her, and I felt the curiosity within me.

I cautiously narrowed my eyes, my lips parting as words began to flow, words I didn't know had been coming. "Will you…will you tell me more?" Alice smiled, her face lighting up, and it was as though the sun had been released from the clouds.

"Of course." She wet her lips, silent for a moment, before continuing. "These…this coven…they do not feed on human blood. They drink from the blood of animals." I could feel the astonishment on my face, the way my lips were parted, and Alice shook her head. "It's not easy…but they've managed to do it. And so have I…for now. They have eyes the same shade of gold as I. As you will soon."

I frowned, surveying the golden orbs with interest, and spoke. "If you don't mind me asking, again, what does the blood taste like?" She opened her mouth to answer, but hesitated, thinking about the question quietly.

An eternity seemed to pass before she answered. "It is not as satisfactory, that much you might have guessed. There's something…missing from animal blood. But it will do. Your eyes begin to change shades after the hunt, hence the golden colour of mine in comparison to the red we usually get."

I considered this, scrutinizing her golden eyes. They complimented her face, made her seem like a dream I would never again have. But she was real; the comforting touch of the slender fingers stroking my hand told me that this was no dream. I was never this vivid in my slumber as a human…and now, I would never know the loss of reality I felt when I slept again.

She leaned forward, her face merely centimetres away from mine, and apprehension seized my entire being. "I know you're nervous…scared…wondering. But I can promise you this, my Jasper…we _do_ have a happy ending." She smiled, and I felt the tingling of excitement sweep through her. "My Jasper…yes, I do quite like the sound of that…" Her musing was loud enough for me to hear.

Boldly, I felt the corners of my lips quirk upwards as I whispered. "And you are my Alice." Her eyes lit up, the topaz pools on fire, and the same warmth flowing through me began to set her veins alight.

"That I am…" She bit her lip gently, and sighed, her breath flowing coolly over my face. "Jasper…_my_ Jasper…will you come with me? To a life that belongs to the both of us? The choice is yours…I will not be offended if you decide otherwise, and truthfully, I would not blame you."

I did not need to think about it. "I'm yours." The words were whispered, daring enough to make my insides contract as I waited for her reaction. When it came, however, it was enough to shock me completely.

Alice leaned forward tentatively, her lips grazing across mine chastely before claiming mine with her own. Her fingers traced along my cheek blindly, and I carefully let my hand fall on her shoulder, stroking the soft material of her dress, and trailed my hand along the line of her neck, stroking her cheekbone gently.

Moments later, we parted, and she smiled, a laugh escaping her lips. "That was my first kiss…and I gave it to you. It's something you alone will ever own. These lips shall remain yours for the whole of eternity."

I smiled. "And I shall remain yours for however long you want me. It seems strange, that I haven't even known you for an hour, and yet, love has begun to possess every fibre of my being. Truly, you must be the reason I was given another life." She was delighted at the words, happiness flashing through her.

Alice stood, her hand clutching mine tightly, and I stood with her. She smiled at me, looking at me from beneath her lashes, smiling demurely. "Come with me?" I nodded, and walked behind her towards the door.

**takemyhand**

She slowed from her run, the breeze flickering through her hair, her eyes glittering. Our hands had remained joined from the moment we met. I turned to her, unable to move the smile from my face, breathless.

"Maybe we should walk for a while. Talk about ourselves, if you will. There seems to be so much we don't know about each other…so much I'd like to know about you…" Her words trailed off, and she waited for my nod of agreement before continuing. "Do you want to start?"

I ducked my head, nodding. "I was almost seventeen years old when I joined the Confederate Army in 1861…" We continued to walk as I spoke, her eyes never leaving my face. "And that's everything up til when I met you…but I'll let you know how the story finishes." I couldn't resist the sudden grin I sent her way.

Alice's eyes were dark as she began to speak. "I'm afraid I wont be anywhere as detailed with my story. I can't remember any of my human life. I suppose I'm eighteen or nineteen, but I'll never be sure. The first memory I have is opening my eyes, just like a newborn, really. It was 1920, and I didn't know _what _I was. You see, I don't know who changed me. I wandered around for almost a year, realizing there was something strange, though I didn't know what it was like to be human. And finally I met an ally, the only one I'd ever had."

She stopped walking, her eyes searching the scenery, and I felt the sadness emanating through her. Gently, I eased it, placing an arm around her waist hesitantly. She didn't move away from my touch.

"Her name was Elena, and she seemed to be about my age. It was she who told me what we were, how I'd come to be, why I was having visions…everything I needed to know about me. We wandered the world for what seemed like forever, trying to find somewhere we thought would be home. But she was…territorial would be the best way to put it. Elena had no objections to fighting with other vampires. And that was her downfall." Alice sighed, glancing at me gratefully as I spared her the pain of grief.

In a movement that made my dead heart lurch, she leaned against me, embracing me lightly, her cheek pressed against my chest even through the material of my jacket. I allowed my arms to encircle her protectively, waiting for her to continue.

"For a long time I'd had visions of the life I described to you. I assumed that they were dreams, my imagination reaching me when I couldn't sleep. But the visions became more vivid, and I started to see your face. First you'd appear to me with red eyes. Then they became gold. I saw our family, our new brothers and sister, everyone. It wasn't until the most recent vision, where I saw myself in a wedding dress, pledging myself to you, that I decided to find you. I knew that they were flashes of a reality I needed to become my own." She stared up at me. "And you were real…exactly as I saw you…and I want that future, Jasper."

I stroked her hair, pressing my lips against the crown of her head. "Tell me more about our future…my love." The last part was added almost against my will, my voice trembling as I said it. I was nervous, I'll admit. I couldn't remember having a mate in my human life…and Maria had been a companion, not a lover. Alice was, truly, my first love.

Alice's grip on my waist tightened, and she pressed her lips against my shoulder. "We do find our family, though it takes us years and years. Until then, we hunt together, feeding on only animals. We marry after we find them, and…oh, Jasper, how I wish you could see what we will look like together. In years to come, physical intimacy means little to us. One glance between us is equivalent to the most passionate of embraces. Never do my eyes wander to another male, and always you _want _to be with me out of love and not duty. It's…heavenly." She stood on her tiptoes, and her lips met mine. "Not since Romeo and Juliet has true love ever been so clearly defined."

I leaned down to kiss her again, and she smiled into it, pushing me down again the grass. I laughed as she tried to pin me still, rolling so I was lying over her, both of us completely breathless. Alice scowled playfully, but it was replaced by a grin when she pushed up against me, forcing me to tumble enough for her to straddle me.

Something changed then, and the nature of our playing became far more passionate. Lust and love mixed within the both of us, and I barely even noticed as her lips met mine again. The kiss became desperate, her hands roaming down my shirt, but she pulled away, her eyes filled with questioning and curiosity.

My smile gave her the permission she sought.

She continued unbuttoning my shirt as I unlaced the bodice of her dress, the shrubs around us giving us the privacy we wanted for something like this. Our breathing quickened, our hands trembling as we hurried to undress, and when we had both succeeded, we stared at each other for a few moments, eyes searching, every inch of us vulnerable.

Alice leaned down, her fingers tracing my cheek, and smiled. "I love you…" She whispered, her eyes pouring straight into mine. The moonlight shone down on her porcelain skin, making her all the more like a dream.

I held her body against mine. "And I love you…" Her lips crashed down to seize mine, and the minutes blended into hours as we lost all sense of the world around us. It was as though the entire world had stopped, and we were the only ones left in the universe.

**takemyhand**

"What's someone like you doing with someone like him?" The male standing before us growled, his eyes drawn to the low cut bodice on Alice's black dress, his eyes tainting the perfection of her.

Alice and I had unknowingly walked into a coven of male vampires, to our horror. There were three of them, all seemingly older than us. Lust radiated from them, the distaste they held for me blatantly obvious.

I growled, facing the three of them, pushing Alice behind me and crouching protectively. I knew she could take care of herself by now…but I was loath to risk her with creatures like those in front of us.

I felt her touch my sleeve as I snarled. "Touch her and I can promise you that it'll be the last thing you ever do." Anger emanated from them, the worry in Alice rising, but I wouldn't be calmed.

They all lunged at the same time, and I met them before they reached me. The sound of our bodies crashing echoed through the clearing, and I heard Alice growl. Someone was pulled off me, my head meeting another one's chest, and I jumped to my feet.

I threw the smaller one into a tree, the bark splintering and giving way to his hard body. Another vampire came at me from the right, and I kicked him, hard, a snarl ripping from my lips. I spun to see one trying to hurt Alice, and rage flared throughout me, the world around me almost turning red in the heat of my anger.

I didn't think.

By the time I was done, he was in pieces. His two companions stood, staring at me, eyes narrowed in horror. Alice was gripping my shoulder, concerned, but her eyes were somewhere else. Her face was blank, void of expression.

I thrilled with terror.

The two companions saw the panic on my face and took advantage of it, seizing me even as I stood, a statue, my eyes solely on Alice. I hit the ground, snarling, and felt their teeth break through the skin of my shoulder. It didn't hurt at all now; the Lord knows I'd felt the sting of venom enough.

A few moments later, and the two of them were scattered in bits over the ground. I fled to Alice's side, clutching her shoulder tightly. "Alice? Alice? What did they do to you? Oh God...Alice? Please be okay!" I scooped her up into my arms, not even bothering to burn the remains of the vampires. They wouldn't come after me even if they somehow lived to fight again.

It was another few minutes before Alice started back into reality. She seemed to realize I was carrying her, and her face dropped. "Oh...I must have had a vision during the fight...are you okay? Did they hurt you, my Jasper?" I shook my head, and she was visibly relieved. "Thank God. I would have loathed myself for leaving you alone during a fight."

"What did you see?" I found my voice, not willing to admit to her or myself just how much she had scared me with the vision. "Anything particularly relevant?" She stared into the distance, not really noticing that I still held her in my arms.

She sighed. "Only more about our family. I saw their names...they were speaking to each other. Our mother's name is Esme, and Carlisle is our father. Emmett and Rosalie will be our siblings. Edward is the only one without a mate, though that will surely change in future. He seems to be incredibly lonely, though."

I felt the sympathy touch something inside her. "He'll find someone, no doubt. He just hasn't had the luxury of being sought out by the one who is destined to be at his side." She smiled as I said this, drawing my face down to touch her lips against mine.

Alice sighed, her breath blowing against my mouth. "Some of us are just lucky that way, I suppose." She rested her head against my chest, a small smirk painted on her lips even as I carried towards our unspecified destination.

**takemyhand**

They were waiting outside for us when we found them. The leader of the coven was obviously the blonde male, tall and muscular, with the level of perfection all vampires possessed. Beside him stood a soft woman, with caramel coloured hair, and a kind face. The only other one with them was a statuesque blonde, obviously stunning...and yet, I couldn't find myself attracted to her like I was Alice.

I could taste the emotion in the air. The male was nervous, but also curious. The softer woman

My beloved stepped forward, waving confidently. "Hello Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie...where's Emmett and Edward? I was looking forward to see Edward reading our minds. Might have even made you accept us easier." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "So...um...which room is mine?"

The one I took to be Carlisle stepped forward. "Of course you'd be welcome to stay with us...but first, we do need to know who you are, and what exactly it is you're here for." He smiled. "Unfortunately we've had some issues with unfamiliar vampires in past."

Alice nodded, still grinning. "Forgive my rudeness, if you will. I am Alice, and this is Jasper, my mate – though the word seems hardly appropriate. We've been searching for you for a very long time. I have visions of the future sometimes, a strange ability that came with being born into this life...or at least, I believe so. I can't remember my human life. I had a vision of a life where we joined your coven, we fed as you do...as you can tell, we've put that theory into practice, though Jasper has a little trouble with it. Don't you, my love?" She glanced at me.

Carlisle's eyes – as golden as Alice's, and now my own – met mine. I nodded, and he smiled. "Well...Alice and Jasper...it seems that your visions have spoken for you. We'd be more than welcome to have you around." His wife, Esme, nodded in approval.

Rosalie stared at me for a long moment, before glancing at Alice. Her lips quirked up into a smile, and she walked towards us. "I had always wondered what it would be like to have a sister." She touched Alice's shoulder. "Time will tell."

Alice – being as exuberant as she was – flung her arms around her, hugging her tightly. "I know for a fact that we will be good friends." She touched Rosalie's hair gently. "You should put aside your doubts, too. Emmett will be around as long as you remain on this earth."

I smiled, touching Alice's shoulder gently. She turned to face me, and I made my final decision. I pulled her to me, kissing her chastely, and touched her cheek. "As will I."

**Belated finish, sorry. This took forever. But I had to write it. I'll post my other stories within a fortnight, hopefully.**

**Review for the Twilight Trailer!**

**Just A Little Bit Dramatic**


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